Departmental Answers

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for   International Development how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary session his Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before the end of the session.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development (DFID) makes every effort to answer all question substantively before Prorogation, however, this is not always possible. Where this was the case, hon. Members were issued with a response that followed parliamentary guidelines to notify them of this. Where hon. Members did not receive a substantive response they have the option to re-table the question in this session.
	During the last Parliamentary Session of 2003–04; there were 2,296 written parliamentary questions tabled to DFID, of which, 13 questions could not be answered substantively in the time available before Prorogation.

Health Service Deficits (South-west)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial deficits for the financial year ended 31 March were for (a) the Peninsula strategic health authority, (b) Plymouth Primary Care Trust, (c) South Hams and West Devon Primary Care Trust, (d) Plymouth Hospital NHS Healthcare Trust and (e) Devon Partnership Trust; and what the anticipated financial deficit of each of them is in the year to 31 March 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			   £000 
			  Surplus/(deficit) 
			  Outturn 2003–04 Forecast outturn 2004–05 
		
		
			 South West Peninsula Strategic Health   Authority (SHA) 10,220 0 
			 Plymouth Primary Care Trust (PCT) 0 0 
			 South Hams and West Devon PCT 545 0 
			 Plymouth Hospitals National Health   Service Trust (7,753) 0 
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust 93 0 
		
	
	The forecast outturn for 2004–05 is based on the latest information published by the South West Peninsula SHA.

Oxleas NHS Trust

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will meet (a) the Chief Executive of Oxleas NHS Trust and (b) the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead to discuss the matters raised by the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead in his letter of 13 October;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the (a) South East London Strategic Health Authority and (b) Private Finance Unit regarding Oxleas NHS Trust on the matters raised with him by the hon. Members for Erith and Thamesmead and Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Nigel Beard) on 14 July.

John Hutton: Departmental officials have been in touch with South East London Strategic Health Authority about this matter.
	I met with my hon. Friend, the Member for Erith and Thamesmead and the hon. Member for Bexley Heath and Crayford earlier in the year and wrote to both of them regarding Oxleas earlier this month. I have no immediate plans for a further meeting.

Vietnam

Mr. Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make   a statement on his Department's efforts to open up the Vietnamese economy to (a) domestic and (b) international trade;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to assist Vietnam in becoming a market-based economy.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DfID) have adopted a joint approach to assist Vietnam in becoming a market-based economy, and in developing its domestic and international trade.
	Key to this is a common position on Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), in particular an insistence on accession on terms that benefits all Vietnamese people, particularly its poor. The European Commission (which negotiates on behalf of EU member states on WTO accession) has been encouraged by the British Government to recognise, in the negotiation process, Vietnam's low income country status.
	In terms of developing Vietnam's domestic economy, DFID is working with the World Bank to support reform of state-owned enterprises (SOE). Activities focus on the restructuring of three general corporations to reduce state direct investment, and encouraging the private sector to play a stronger role. This area of reform is crucial to free-up government resources for social service provision and poverty reduction. DFID further supported the revision of key investment and enterprise laws to create a level playing field for business, and to reduce state intervention in company decision-making and the allocation of resources.
	In the longer term, DFID, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, is helping the Government of Vietnam to identify and develop policies to make the transition to a market-based economy work in favour of the poor, through improving their access to land and other natural resources, through increased opportunities for employment and income generation, and through linking up the domestic markets within which they supply labour to global markets, for example those that supply supermarkets. For further information on this intervention I refer my hon. Friend to the Making Markets Work Better for the Poor website: www. markets4poor.org.

Post-16 Statistics

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many 16 and 17 year olds are not in employment, full-time education or training.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Webb dated 29 November 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (200159)
	The latest estimate from the Labour Force Survey is that, in the three months ending in September 2004, a total of 198,000 (seasonally adjusted) 16 and 17 years olds in the United Kingdom were not in employment (including Government training schemes) or in full-time education.
	These estimates from the LFS, as with any statistical sample survey, are subject to sampling variability.

Tax Credits

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of time to process (a) a child tax credit and (b) a working tax credit application is.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the honourable Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 18 November 2004, Official Report, Column 1510–1511W.

Renewables Obligation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will publish the submissions made (a) to her in advance of her review of the Renewables Obligation and (b) to that review.

Mike O'Brien: This has already been done. Following the consultation on the Terms of Reference for the Review of the Renewables Obligation, which was conducted in August/September 2004, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry published a full version of responses received. These can be accessed at: www.dti. gov.uk/energy/renewables/policy/terms   of   reference. shtml.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to publish the responses to all subsequent consultations in the same way, except where an organisation has requested confidentiality, in line with Government guidance on good practice in relation to consultations.

Seaford Route

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a statement on the impact of the Seaford noise preferential route on the proposed housing development at Imberhome in East Grinstead.

Charlotte Atkins: The Seaford noise preferential route (NPR) from Gatwick Airport is stipulated by the Secretary of State by Notice under s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. When it is allocated to the operators of aircraft departing towards the east, they are required to turn on a heading between East Grinstead and Crawley Down towards the navigational beacon at Seaford.
	Adherence to the NPR is assessed on the basis of a 'swathe', 1.5 km to each side of the centre-line of the route. Aircraft which have reached an altitude of 4,00 ft may be 'vectored' by air traffic controllers onto a different heading without being deemed to have deviated from the NPR.
	It is for interested parties to assess the relevance of the Seaford route, and of airport operations and noise controls generally, to any planning process, having due regard to planning guidance.

National Healthy School Standard

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost to public funds of the National Healthy School Standard has been in each year since 1999; and what funding he expects it to receive in each year until 2009.

Mr. Twigg: The National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) has been jointly funded by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health since 1999. The following table shows the funding allocated to the NHSS from both Departments since 1999. Information on any additional support from local NHSS programmes or from local education authorities is not held centrally.
	
		
			£ million 
			 Year (allocations) From the Department of Health From the Department for Education and Skills Total 
		
		
			 1999–2000 2 2 4 
			 2000–01 6 2 8 
			 2001–02 5.8 2 7.8 
			 2002–03 5.5 2 7.5 
			 2003–04 5.5 2 7.5 
			 2004–05 5.5 2 7.5 
		
	
	The DfES and Department of Health are committed to continued funding of the programme and the exact levels are still under discussion.

Pension Credit

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average payment of pension credit is in (a) England and Wales and (b) each region.

Malcolm Wicks: Average pension credit awards in Great Britain, England and Wales and in each Government Office Region in Great Britain at 30 September are given in the following table. Information on numbers of pension credit recipients will now be reported on a quarterly basis, in line with reporting practices for other Departmental benefits.
	
		Average pension credit awards—30September 2004
		
			 Area Average award (£) 
		
		
			 Great Britain 41.67 
			 England and Wales 41.83 
			 Eastern 39.14 
			 East Midlands 39.48 
			 London 57.77 
			 North East 37.12 
			 North West 41.42 
			 Scotland 40.29 
			 South East 38.56 
			 South West 38.62 
			 Wales 41.82 
			 West Midlands 41.73 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 38.15